Chapter 8

As he walked down the hall, he ran into Jeff and Sierra.

Jeff looked at him and knew something was wrong. "Is everything okay?" He asked.

Hunter looked up into the eyes of Sierra. Without a word said, she broke down and cried.

"NO! She can't be gone!" She cried out, as she dropped to the floor.

"Man, I am really sorry," Jeff said. "Is there anything that we could do?"

Hunter just shocked his head and continued on walking.

Jeff kneeled down and wrapped his arms around her. "Baby, I'm so sorry."

"WHY! Why does she have to be gone?" Sierra told him, as he helped her off the floor. He held her close to him as they walked outside to his car. They got in his car and left the parking lot, to head back to the arena.

ºººº

Hunter just kept on walking. He whipped the tears off, but more came, damping his now red face.

He made his way down to the beach, where he had first met Nicky, on that hot summer day in July. When he had found the spot where he had proposed to her, he sat down. He looked out past the ocean. The sun was finally settling down behind the horizon. A few stars, hung up in the sky.

His thought wondered to the last minutes she had. He dropped his head into his hands and cried. Cried everything he had in him. His heart breaking more and more each time he thought of her.

"NICKY!" He yelled out. "You promised…you promised me, you would be mine forever! But now, you're gone. Everything is gone."

All his hopes and dreams of a life with Nicky shattered. His hopes of, after they were married and settled down and things weren't so crazy with the Federation, they were going to start thinking of a family. Being able to have children to call his own. Watch them grow up. But all that came to an end.

He lay back in the sand and stared up at the sky. Her face flooded his mind. He remembered how she had looked when he had proposed to him.

ºººº

Hunter had made a picnic, all planed out for him and his girlfriend, Nicky. He wanted it to be special, when he would pop the question to her. They lay out on the blanket; Nicky had laid out for them, together in each other's arms. Nicky had her head rested on his chest and they were talking about nothing. When out of the blue, Hunter held out a diamond ring in front of her. She turned to look at him.

"Marry me Nickole," He had asked.

She looked at him surprised. For a minute, she stared into his eyes, to see if he was serious. And he was. Without an answer she kissed him.

"Is that a yes?" He asked, through kisses.

"Yes! Yes Hunter, I will marry you," She said, throwing her arms around him. He kissed her. He made love to her, like he had never done before.

ºººº

He smiled to himself. But soon the smile faded. He got up and headed to the road. He stopped a taxi, got in, told the driver to take him to the arena.

When they arrived, he got out, paid the driver and walked in the doors. He made his way to his dressing room, avoiding any contact with anyone. He grabbed his stuff and left and went to the hotel room, where he once shared with Nicky.